The History of Salisbury School
1850 - 1916
In 1850, William McRae, his wife Sarah and three children arrived in Nelson on the LADY NUGENT from County Clare, Ireland. On the Salisbury Road 100-acre property he built a new homestead and grounds, modelled on his Irish homestead.
Sarah planted a kitchen plot, orchard, rose garden, herbaceous borders and trees and flowers to remind her of home. Many of the remaining trees at the school now have heritage status. William later moved to North Canterbury and his son ran the homestead until his death in 1904.
The Crown then bought the property and used it initially as a home for boys until a special school “for boys of feeble mind” was established in South Canterbury.
In 1916, the demand for a similar school for girls saw the McRae homestead site become the “Richmond Special School for Girls of Feeble Mind” and two large dormitory buildings were built.
1917
By 1917, the school was established, with two teachers and a roll of 50. In addition to the basic English and Mathematics curriculum, life revolved around timetabled activities designed to build character and keep the girls busy, such as housework, laundry, sewing, knitting and gardening.
1925
In 1925, the new kitchen/dining room and recreation room were built for all the girls meals and for dances and silent films.
1930
In 1930, three additional classrooms were built with another being built in 1935 and the first staff-room in 1937.
1947
In 1947, Miss Katherine McRae (no relation to the original land-owning family) became Headmistress. Her time was marked by an appreciation of the girls as individuals, giving attention to the girls’ differing capacities and a curriculum to respond to these needs. Greater involvement with the community started to be encouraged.
1949
The learners’ swimming pool was built in 1949.
1951
By 1951, the school had a roll of around 65 and a boarding and teaching staff of 19. During the 1950s Māori had started attending in significant numbers.
Late 1950s
The old homestead was demolished in the late 1950s.
1960
By 1960, community-school relationships were getting established. The annual garden parties provided a more formal opportunity for visitors to look around the school. Local shops did business with the school and Rotary and Jaycee clubs organised fun activities. Local businesses took girls for work experience on a regular basis. Girls participated in local sports fixtures and music festivals.
The school was also largely self-sufficient, growing all its own vegetables and doing all sewing, laundry, hairdressing and repairs on site.
Throughout the late 1950s and the 1960s, the proportion of Māori at the school increased significantly. At a time when there was very little awareness of Māori culture in Nelson, the Salisbury culture group, established by Maria Hippolite, became a very important part of the school’s identity. In the pre-powhiri era, the girls played an important role in the community.
1963 - 1999
In 1963, Nora Hurley became Principal of the “Richmond Special School for Girls.” The school changed its name to “Salisbury Girls School” the following year. Hurley set high standards for the girls and the teaching staff.
Hurley tackled the Department of Education head-on over operational resourcing and by the time she left 17 and a half years later, the school had practically been rebuilt. The facilities development was timely, since the roll jumped from approximately 50 in 1969 to 80 in 1970, half of whom were Māori.
Maria Robinson (nee Hippolite) began at Richmond Special School as a Housemistress, becoming Assistant Principal from 1968-70. After her marriage in 1970, she went to Papua New Guinea, but returned in 1974, again becoming Assistant Principal by the end of the decade. In 1985, she took over as Acting Principal and became Principal in 1987. She remained in that role until her retirement in 1999. Maria spent the best part of four decades at Salisbury. She stamped a “people first” brand on the school, which was later translated into Te whānau o Salisbury.
1999-2009
From 1999 to 2009 the Principal was Ritchie Telfer from Christchurch.
2010 - 2019
In December 2010 Brenda Ellis was appointed as Principal. Little did she know she would lead the school through its most challenging period as it faced closure from 2012 to late 2017. Brenda stepped down in 2019 after a remarkable tenure, with the school’s future secured and the promise of a complete school rebuild.
2020
Ellie Salcin-Watts replaced Brenda as Principal at the beginning of 2020, having made a positive impact as Deputy Principal for the previous four terms.
2021
Regional Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour, BLENNZ and van Asch / Ko Taku Reo staff move on-site as Salisbury re-develops into a specialist hub.